Saturday:13.91 miles on trails. Freaking tough trails. Yes, it took 2 hours and 52 minutes, but I also climbed 3,056’. Around mile 7 we came to a critical decision point: go back up the way we came down (steep) or go up the shorter yet steeper way. You can see which way we chose. Basically if we were already going to have to hands-on-our-quads-hike up anyway, might as well get it over with sooner.

If I remember how to do math right (Rise over run! See, middle school math IS important), 6.97 mi/1357’ –--> 8.18 mi/2508’ works out to be an 18% grade.

Sunday: Rest. I replenished my depleted muscles with In-N-Out.

Week of 6/17Monday:2.28easy miles on the flattish bike path. Avg pace 9:27. My quads were hungover from Saturday’s trail run.

Friday-Sunday: No running or biking, but I did walk my buns off in San Francisco. My husband had been up there all week for a conference, and I was able to join him for the weekend. Mini post on that to follow.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Begin Boring Running Stats. I’m including elevation gain because my runs are not flat unless I’m at the track so I think that deserves some extra credit. I’ve decided there is NO SUCH THING as an easy run here. I threw in some hiking pictures to make it pretty.

Monday: Rest (a.k.a. Memorial Day Grilling and Sangria)Tuesday: Went to track but there was a HS graduation! Went to the bike path instead and braved 45 mph winds and a face full of dust to run 4.2 miles with 4 mi @ avg pace of 8:18.Wednesday: 9.25 mi bike ride @13.5 mphThursday: RestFriday: 7.5 mi hike, +1686.’ Ventured into the desert to hike to Devil’s Chair with the Ohioans. We’ve done this one before.

^Little cloud-looking thing peeking from behind the rocky ridge in the left half of the photo is the smoke plume from the “Powerhouse fire” 40 mi NW of here.

Saturday + Sunday: No running. The nearby fire grew quickly since it started Thursday afternoon and resulted in visible smoke in the air and ash on…everything outside. Saturday we headed further south to be able to spend time outside in cleaner air. Here are pictures of the smoke plume visible from around town on Saturday morning.

I decided to heed the air quality warnings and did not exert myself outdoors. Followed by whining and complaining to my husband that it had been too long and I was forgetting how to run. Instead of running, I spent the time following the fire online, and worrying about how much damage it was doing. Constructive, I know. Interesting pictures here and here and here.

Week of 6/3

Monday: Only had time for 2.4 easy miles on hills before work. 10:57 avg pace, +533’.Tuesday: 5.3 mi trail run in the morning. 11:23 avg pace, +1125’.Night: 4.27 mi of speed work involving some 5ish 800s.Wednesday: 3.09 mi in my hilly neighborhood. 10:12 avg pace; +502’. I swear it felt easier at night than it does in the morning.Thursday: RestFriday: 9.26 mi bike ride @14mphSaturday: 10.73 mi at 9:21 pace, flattish (+232’).Sunday: Rest

And to end with pictures…Molly made up a new game that involves bringing all her stuffed animals outside, one by one, to lie in the grass with her.